Freshman phenom running back carries Sooners into miracle upset over Alabama Crimson Tide
If you had told Oklahoma fans in the preseason that they would have had a freshman running back pave the way for the Sooners in an upset victory over Alabama, many would have pointed to five-star recruit Taylor Tatum. Instead, it was Xavier Robinson, the unheralded three-star from down the road in Oklahoma City, who […]
If you had told Oklahoma fans in the preseason that they would have had a freshman running back pave the way for the Sooners in an upset victory over Alabama, many would have pointed to five-star recruit Taylor Tatum.
Instead, it was Xavier Robinson, the unheralded three-star from down the road in Oklahoma City, who has put the team on his back down the stretch on the ground.
Robinson opened up the game with a 40-yard run, then steadily worked his way up to over 100 yards. His 18-yard touchdown at the end of the second quarter made it 10-3 Sooners just before halftime. He followed it up with another touchdown following Eli Bowen's interception to open the third quarter to make it 17-3.
Sooner Magic shows up for Brent Venables on Senior Night, Sooners dismantle Alabama Crimson Tide
I wrote last week about why Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables deserved some grace. With everything going on in his personal life, the fact that the Sooners fought as hard as they did in every single game was a testament to the players' belief in Venables. They fought like mad for him Saturday, and […]
All told, Robinson finished the day with 107 yards on 18 carries. He added another 20 yards on four catches. He finished with two touchdowns.
This is another fantastic game for Robinson, following his tremendous outing two weeks ago against Missouri.
With Jovantae Barnes still battling an injury, the burden fell on Robinson to carry the running game, and he responded with aplomb.
Robinson helped the team rush for 257 yards on the day, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. His two touchdowns tonight put him tied for second on the team in rushing touchdowns with three, and his 192 yards already put him fourth on the team, despite not getting any real run until the Missouri game.
His emergence as a playmaker has opened up this Sooners' offense on the ground. I've been most impressed with his willingness to simply follow his blockers and his ability to consistently fall forward, two traits that seem simple but are anything but. Add those onto his athletic ability, and the Sooners have a talented rusher on their hands.
We've already seen how good Taylor Tatum can be when he's confident. As Tatum starts to grow, these two can be as good a tandem as there is in college football. Could Oklahoma have their next Perine-Mixon-esque duo moving forward? It certainly feels that way.
